This application relates to the art of electrical contact members and, more particularly, to electrical contact members used in electrical fuses. The invention is particularly applicable for use in thermal cutoffs and will be described with specific reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated that the invention has broader aspects and can be used in other environments.
A known type of thermal cutoff includes a generally mushroom-shaped floating contact member having an enlarged head and an elongated shank. The outer end of the enlarged head is flat and engages a sliding contact. Due to the large area of the outer end surface of the head, the unit engagement pressure between such surface and the sliding contact is relatively low. In some instances, the unit engagement pressure is so low that the electrical resistance is unacceptably high. It would be desirable to increase the unit pressure between a sliding contact and a floating contact member of the type described in order to maintain the resistance thereacross at acceptable levels. In thermal cutoffs of the type described, the elongated shank on the floating contact member has a sharp edge adjacent its outer end. During assembly of the thermal cutoff, the floating contact member may be cocked or tilted when a bushing is inserted for reception over the shank and the bushing may hang up on the sharp edge. It would be desirable to shape the terminal end portion of the shank to minimize the possibility of such hang-ups.